The invention pertains to a catalytic composition which contains an ultrastable, large-pore crystalline aluminosilicate material and which includes a Group VI metal or metal oxide and a Group VIII metal or metal oxide. The invention pertains further to processes of treating mineral oils which result in a chemical alteration of at least some of the hydrocarbon molecules of the mineral oils to form mineral oils having different properties, wherein the mineral oils are treated in a cracking step in the presence of hydrogen prior to any other conversion steps. In addition, the invention pertains to processes wherein there is included also at least one subsequent step of reforming and wherein there is employed a step directed to the purification, separation, or recovery of aromatic hydrocarbons.
Certain background prior art may be useful in the understanding of the present inventive process. Such background prior art comprises Kelley, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,159,564; Evans, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,222,416; and Hansford, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,008,895.
The Kelley, et al., patent is directed to a hydrofining-hydrocracking process wherein a catalyst containing a molecular sieve may be used in the hydrocracking step. This patent does not disclose the use of an ultrastable, large-pore crystalline aluminosilicate material as a constituent of the catalytic composition, nor does this patent disclose the use of such a catalyst in the disclosed hydrofining-hydrocracking process. Moreover, it does not disclose a combination process wherein hydrocracking is performed over a catalyst containing an ultrastable, large-pore crystalline aluminosilicate material and wherein a solvent-extraction process employing sulfolane is used to separate aromatics from a non-aromatic fraction.
The Evans, et al., patent is directed to a solvent-extraction process employing sulfolane solvents. This patent is not related to a hydrocarbon-conversion process. Moreover, the present invention is directed to a hydrocarbon-conversion catalyst and hydrocarbon-conversion processes. Some of the instant claims are directed to a combination hydrocarbon-conversion process employing as one element thereof an extraction process using sulfolane solvents. The Evans, et al., patent does not disclose, teach, or suggest that the solvent-extraction process disclosed therein be combined with other processing steps to produce gasoline blending stocks having an unleaded research octane number in excess of 105. Therefore, the present invention can be easily distinguished from the Evans, et al., patent.
The Hansford, et al., patent is directed to a combination hydrocarbon-conversion process wherein hydrocracking, separation and reforming steps are employed. However, the combination process of the Hansford, et al., patent will not provide gasoline blending stocks having unleaded research octane numbers in excess of 105. Not one of the octane values presented in the Hansford, et al., patent attains an unleaded research octane value as high as 101. Moreover, the Hansford, et al., combination hydrocarbon-conversion process does not employ a solvent-extraction process using sulfolane solvents and a hydrocracking process employing a hydrocracking catalyst which uses an acidic cracking support a component comprising a silica-alumina cracking catalyst and an ultrastable, large-pore crystalline aluminosilicate material.